Things Change Don't Be Left Behind
by Krismione
Summary: An unexpected wedding. Erupting emotions. Missed opportunity. Past influencing present. Will Ron be able to move forward or be left behind once again?
1. Gold and Silver

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter and related characters. J.K. Rowling is the brains behind them. **

Chapter 1

Gold and Silver

" Hermione's owl is here! " exclaimed Ginny at the Burrow's breakfast table.

As the owl approached the table, the Weasleys that were present – Molly, Arthur, Ron, and Ginny – wondered what the bird was carrying. It looked like a regular letter but the envelope it came in glittered in gold and the writing on it was a shiny silver. This was obviously not a regular letter because for one, Hermione has never sent anything that looked so regal; her letters were always sent in plain white envelopes without the shine and glitter. Secondly, Hermione has not been owling the Weasleys for the past few months due to her being so busy at work. 

The owl dropped its delivery in front of Ginny's plate and helped itself to a piece of toast. In fancy silver letters, written on the shimmering gold envelope was this…

The Weasley Family

The Burrow

Surrey, England

" Hmm…that's strange. It's addressed to the whole family. I wonder what it is," said Mrs. Weasley as she took the envelope from Ginny. She opened it and read aloud the content of the elegant card inside.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger

Request the presence of your family

At the wedding of their daughter

Hermione Granger

To

Draco Malfoy

Son of the deceased

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy

On 

The second of April, 2004

Malfoy Manor

R.S.V.P. March 1, 2004

            " Oh dear, " Molly muttered.

" Malfoy?! Since when has she been with Malfoy?! " yelled Ron.

" Well, officially, since last year. But they've been hanging out and having dinner since the year before. So, to answer your question, Ron, it's been two years. " Ginny butted in.

" Bloody hell! You've known about them and you never told me?! "

" What are you yelling at me for? It's not my fault I still keep in touch with my best friend." 

            " But why Malfoy? Out of all people, she picks Malfoy? After how he's treated her over the years? " Ron questioned.

" Things change, Ron. You know that all too well. You have to be able to adapt to change or else you'll be left behind. When will you catch up? "

" I have no bloody idea what you are talking about. "

" Still oblivious as ever huh? Or do you intentionally dismiss what's right in front of you? " Ron couldn't believe the way his younger sister was talking to him, even though there was some truth in what she was saying.

Ginny gathered her robe, gloves, and scarf as she proceeded to the fireplace. 

            "Well, I'm running late. I'm supposed to meet up with Harry at Diagon Alley. Good day, Mum, Dad. DIAGON ALLEY!!! " With a bit of Floo powder, Ginny was gone just like that.

" Good day indeed, " muttered Ron under his breath as he went up the stairs to his room.

" Wait!, " exclaimed Arthur, " Should we RSVP??? " 

****This is my first try at writing a fanfic. Hopefully, later chapters will be longer. Please r/r. I need some CONSTRUCTIVE criticism!****


	2. Back and Forth

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES. J.K. ROWLING IS THE GODDESS BEHIND THEM.**

**Chapter 2**

Back and Forth

            Ron couldn't stay still for a second. He was furiously pacing back and forth in his room, squeezing a stress ball in his hands, breathing heavily, with his heart beating as loud as the Howler his Mum sent him while he was still attending Hogwarts. 

            '_How could this be? Hermione Granger marrying Draco Malfoy? This is a nightmare! That man, if you can call Malfoy that, hated Hermione at Hogwarts! They despised each other!! And now they're getting married?? This has to be a mistake!'_

            Ron's memories of Malfoy calling Hermione a 'mudblood' and the many times he taunted her, made Ron boil so much that he squeezed the stress ball to death. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even realize that all he was doing now was clenching and unclenching his fists. After a while, he felt like he was being suffocated in his room so he decided to take his Chudley Cannons team broomstick. He tried to clear his thoughts by doing Quidditch sprints, which was equivalent to pacing back and forth, broomstick style. 

            Ron began to think about what Ginny said earlier, _'Things change, Ron.'  And boy, was she right._

_Six years ago…_

_            It was their last year at Hogwarts, their last month to be exact. Lord Voldemort had just been defeated the month before and everyone was glad that they didn't have Voldemort's reign of terror to worry about anymore. Things were slowly beginning to come back to normal and all the seventh year Hogwarts students were eagerly waiting to graduate. Everyone except Draco Malfoy; his parents, Lucius and Narcissa, were killed during the war. Voldemort betrayed them by leading them to the Aurors, before he met his own demise. _

 Harry, Ron, and Hermione were eating dinner in the Great Hall, along with their fellow classmates. Meals were so much more enjoyable now, not having to wonder anymore whether it would be their last.

"Ron, I-I need to talk to you later. Something important." Hermione said nervously as she finished her Shepherd's pie. 

"Sure, Hermione. What about?," Ron asked curiously. Harry uncomfortably stared at his own pie, knowing fully what Hermione wanted to talk to Ron about. In fact, he was the one who encouraged her.

Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Hermione said, "Like I told you before,Ron, something important. Just meet me in the common room after everyone else goes to bed. I need to discuss this with you alone." She got up from the table and collected her books. "I'm off to the library to finish some Advanced Arithmancy work. Don't forget about the common room."

            As she walked out of the hall, Ron thought there was something strange about the whole conversation they just had. Sure, it was common for Hermione to bark out orders, but this time it was different. Her voice sounded nervous, almost sounding like she wasn't sure whether or not she should tell Ron this 'important' thing. Ron also noticed Harry was silent throughout the whole conversation. Ron eyed him suspiciously. 

            "What?," Harry said nonchalantly.

            "Do you know what's going on? What does she want to talk to me about?," Ron curiously asked.

            Harry shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno. But I bet it's important."

            "How do you know that?"

            "Well, Hermione did say twice that it was important."

            "Oh. Yeah. Of course."

             To avoid further interrogation from Ron, Harry quickly finished his pie, not bothering to chew. "Gwwood ruck, Won." After a quick sip of juice, Harry took off.

            _Good luck? On what? What the bloody hell was going on?_

_Later that night…_

            Harry accompanied Ron in the common room, waiting for the rest of the house to go to bed. It was almost like a siege when the Creevey brothers were the only ones left. Colin and Dennis were still in awe of the famous Harry Potter, especially now after he defeated Voldemort for the second time in his life. Since Harry was going to graduate, Colin felt even more compelled to follow him around. However, after about an hour of waiting each other out, Dennis finally complained to Colin, " I'm tired and so sleepy, Colin. Let's go." 

            "Okay, fine. I'm sleepy as well. Good night, Harry. G'nite Ron."

            "G'nite, Colin." Harry waited a few minutes and then let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness they're finally gone! And now it's my turn to go to bed. Good luck,Ron." Harry proceeded up the stairs.

            '_There he goes again with 'Good luck.' What's going on?', thought Ron._

            As Harry walked excitedly up the stairs, he met up with Hermione at the top. He could see that she was very nervous; she kept fidgeting with her fingers and paced back and forth. _'Poor Hermione,' thought Harry. __'I'm sure glad I'm not in her shoes.'_

            "So how you holding up, Hermione? Are you ready to tell Ron?"

            "To tell you the truth, Harry, I'm scared to death. Dealing with Voldemort was one thing, but confessing your secret emotions to one of your best friends is just as dangerous," Hermione said apprehensively.

            Harry gave his best friend a much needed hug and noticed that her body was shaking. "It'll be fine, Hermione. Ron will understand."

            "But what if he doesn't feel the same way? I'm putting my heart out on the line here. Harry, for once, I don't know what I'm doing. All I know is that I can't keep this secret any longer. I know I should tell him, Harry, but I don't want to get hurt."

            "Hermione, just think positive. I'll think positive for you too."

            "You're one to talk. You haven't even told Ginny how you feel about her."

            "Hey, hey, hey…we're talking about you here," Harry replied defensively. "Listen, Hermione, it'll be fine okay? You need to do this for your well-being. It's better knowing that you tried than saying 'What if…?' later on."

            Hermione sighed and nodded in agreement with Harry. "I guess you're right. Okay. Let me do this. It's gonna be fine. I'm going to be fine." She slowly walked down the stairs one step at a time, holding herself up by touching the walls.

            Harry definitely hoped that things would go well as Hermione's chant of 'It's gonna be fine, It's gonna be fine, It's gonna be fine' faded as she walked down the stairs. He'd never forgive himself if Hermione gets her heart broken, considering that he was the one who convinced her to admit her feelings. He'll just have to wait it out until tomorrow morning. 


	3. Back and Forth Again

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Harry Potter and his posse.**

**a/n: this is the continuation of that fateful night six years ago. Enjoy.**

Chapter 3

Back and Forth Again

            Down in the common room, Ron couldn't help but feeling like he was being trapped. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know this 'important' thing. A little while later he saw Hermione walk into the common room, fidgeting with her hands and focusing her attention on the floor rug. Ron stood up awkwardly as she approached him. "Hi, Hermione. Well I'm here – what did you need to tell me?"

            Hermione hesitated before she finally brought up the courage to talk. "Well, Ron, first you have to know that this is so difficult for me to tell you. I'm so scared to talk to you right now."

            "But, Hermione, it's only me. The same Ron Weasley you've known for years. You've got nothing to worry about," said Ron comfortingly as he offered her a seat on the sofa. They bought sat down in front of the fireplace.

            "Well, alright, I guess I should just come right out and say what I have to say. Okay." Hermione felt dizzy and her palms were sweaty.

            "Ron…I have feelings for you."

            "Of course you do, I'm your friend. That's all you wanted to tell me?, " Ron replied obliviously.

            "No, Ron, not like that. I like you as more than a friend. Ron, I'm in love with you. I have been since our fourth year."

            "You're what?!"

            "In love with you."

            "Bloody hell! So I did hear you correctly," Ron stated in disbelief. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and when he couldn't find a comfortable position, he stood up and walked towards the fireplace. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _'Hermione in love? With me? But why me?' Ron just continuously stared at the fire. Oh, how he wished he had some floo powder right now. This was such an awkward situation; he just wanted to disappear._

            Meanwhile, Hermione stayed on the sofa. She did it. She finally said it. It felt so much better that it was now off her chest. But she still wasn't in the clear. She still didn't know how Ron felt about this or even if he felt the same way. Would he reciprocate her feelings? Or would she be going to be broken-hearted?

            It seemed like eternity before the awkward silence was broken. "Ron, you haven't said anything for five minutes."

            "Neither have you, Hermione."

            "Well, I was waiting for you to say something back. Ron, I want to know – did I make a mistake by telling you I'm in love with you? Do you feel the same way about me?" Once again, Hermione's hands became sweaty as she fearfully waited for Ron's answer.

            _'Am I in love with her? I love Hermione as my friend, but in love with her? I don't know about that. How do you know if you're in love anyway?'_

            "Ron?" Hermione snapped Ron out of his thoughts. He suddenly remembered that he didn't answer her yet.

            Ron kept his back towards Hermione, afraid to see her face when he finally gives her an answer. He didn't want to hurt Hermione, but he couldn't lie to himself either.

            "Hermione…I-I'm afraid that I can't say that I'm in love with you. I love you as one of my best friends and I'm really sorry, but that's all I feel right now."

            It was a good thing that Ron couldn't see Hermione's face. If he did, he would've seen the increasing amount of tears that were running down her cheeks. She felt like someone shot her in the heart. She felt paralyzed. She silently cried for what seemed like forever.

            After a while, she decided to wipe her tears and put on a brave face. As she finished wiping tears away, Ron finally turned around. The pain that Malfoy put Hermione through over the years was nothing compared to the pain and hurt that he now saw. He felt horrible. He wanted to give her a hug, but he figured, _'What good would that do? I just broke her heart and I can't take back what I said.'_

            "Hermione, I'm real sorry. I'm sorry to make you cry. I never wanted to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

            Hermione stood up and tried to pull herself together. Ron walked towards her, but she put out her hand, indicating him to not come forward any further. Backing away, she tried to hide her hurt, but did so unconvincingly. "I - I understand, Ron. It-It's okay. Really it is. I really wasn't expecting anything. I just wanted to get it off my chest because it was eating me up. I'll be fine."

            She turned around and headed up for the stairs. She wanted the comfort of her bed as soon as possible.

            "Hermione!" Ron called out.

            She turned back around, fighting to hold back her tears, and said, "We're still friends right?"

            "Of course."

            "Great. That's great to hear." She lost her battle with the tears and they freely ran down her face again.

            "Herm—"

            "G'nite, Ron." And with that, she ran up the stairs and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

      Ron slowly hovered as he approached the ground with his broomstick. He landed softly and shook his head over the memory that he just had. _'You were right, Ginny. Things have changed between Hermione and me ever since six years ago. And I have no one else but myself to blame.'_

_----_

**a/n: thanks to everyone who reviewed this fic so far. J I really appreciate your feedback. Sorry, if the pace of the story is going slow though. I just don't want to miss anything. Keep on r/r –ing!**


	4. Ginger Snaps

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine – Ron is. LoL j/k. Once again, J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and his friends. I just wish she could share her dough with me! J**

**a/n: thanks to everyone for your reviews and feedback! I love reading them and they definitely help motivate me to write more chapters! Thanx bunches! I hope u enjoy this one!**

**Chapter 4**

**Ginger Snaps**

            It was around noon when Ron finally went back to the Burrow. His dad had already left and was now hard at work at the Ministry. The only one left in the house was his Mum. Molly was in the kitchen, baking ginger snaps, when Ron came back in. 

            He planned to go to his room to put away his broomstick, take a shower, and then go over to Fred & George's Joke Shop to work for a couple hours. Much as they were jokesters, Fred and George also knew when to be serious. 

            After Ron graduated from Hogwarts, the Chudley Cannons drafted him to be on the team. Of course, Ron was elated. The Cannons were his favorite Quidditch team and it was always one of his dreams to be a part of it. The team picked him because he was a member of Oliver Wood's elite Fly Squad during the war against Voldemort. Oliver, being the born leader and strategist that he was, established the Fly Squad to help out the Ministry. Their job was to do community watches at night and to look out for Death Eaters. Ron had watch only during the weekends, so as to not jeopardize his schoolwork, as a request from Mrs. Weasley. Schoolwork was only part of the reason, but in truth, Molly wasn't really comfortable knowing that her son would possibly be in contact with those horrible Death Eaters. However, Ron was quite the stubborn one and insisted on having a part to do during the war. And besides, Fred and George were members also, so why couldn't he? Ron's stations were Hogwarts and the surrounding area. After the war was over, the Cannons found out about Ron being a member of the Fly Squad, thanks to Oliver who put in a good word for him. They offered him a position on the team after he graduated from Hogwarts and he excitedly accepted it. Fresh out of Hogwarts and he already had a job.

            Unfortunately, Ron only stayed with the Cannons for three years. He wasn't fired. He wasn't replaced or traded. After three years, he realized that playing Quidditch with his favorite team wasn't as glamorous as he dreamt it out to be. His teammates were great people and he got along with them perfectly fine. The practices didn't bother him that much, but he just had this nagging feeling that he was missing something in his life. All his life he thought that being in the Cannons would be the peak of his life and that he wouldn't need anything else beyond that. But he was wrong. He didn't feel whole; he felt like there was an empty space inside him. So he resigned from the Cannons. Nobody really understood why he did it, but they accepted his decision, all the same. 

            This is where Fred and George come in the picture. Yes, they were renowned for being great pranksters, but deep down they were also devoted to their family. After they both graduated from Hogwarts, they were able to open their joke shop. It was a very successful business. Everyone needed a laugh after the war and the joke shop fulfilled that need. When Fred and George heard of Ron's decision to resign, they were worried about him, their only younger brother. Slowly but surely, Ron's demeanor started to change. He was becoming depressed. He had no job and still lived with their parents. To make him snap out of the depression, they suggested to Ron that he come and work at the joke shop as a manager. He didn't have other options at the time, so he accepted Fred's and George's proposal. It was a good deal too because Ron could come in to work anytime he wanted. He didn't abuse this privilege too much though because it didn't feel right to him. It has been three years now since he worked at the joke shop and though he still felt like his life wasn't totally whole, he was content with it for the moment.

            However, this morning's news of Hermione's wedding, tapped a nerve in Ron and he didn't know how to deal with it. 

            "Oh, by the way dear," Molly said as she noticed Ron come in, "your dad and I sent our family's RSVP for Hermione's wedding. We thought it best we sent it early."

            "Sure, Mum. Whatever," Ron commented bitterly as he proceeded to go to his room.

            His Mum stopped him before he could go any further, however. "Listen, Ron, I don't know what's happened between you and Hermione ever since you both got out of Hogwarts, but we had to accept her invitation. We've known her for years and we've welcomed her into our home many times. She's your sister's best friend and she was once yours also. It's only polite that we attend - no matter who she marries."

            "Sure. Are we done here?," Ron said frostily.

            "Now you listen, Ronald Weasley! I understand that you are a Weasley and therefore, are proned to tempers, but I will not accept this attitude from you right now! Not until you clearly explain to me why you are acting so childish! For goodness sake, you are 24! You know that bottling your feelings and not talking to anyone about them is not healthy, dear. I know there is something bothering you other than this wedding, but I can't help you unless I know what is wrong."

            His mother was right. He shouldn't lash out on her; it's not her fault for the way things turned out.

            "I know, Mum. It's just that I don't know how to deal with it right now."

            "Well, let me start then. What really happened between you and Hermione? I mean, how come the two of you grew apart after you left Hogwarts, yet she's still best friends with Harry?"

            Ron gave his Mum a defeated look; he knew she would never let up unless he told her everything. He sat in one of the rickety kitchen seats as his Mum brought a plate of ginger snaps and did the same.

            "So how 'bout it? Care to tell me what really went on between you and Hermione?"

            "It happened a long time ago, Mum. It doesn't matter." He was still hesitant about telling his Mum everything.

            "Ron, it most certainly does matter. You wouldn't be this upset if it didn't. I'm hear to listen to you, dear." Molly said to him assuringly.

            He sighed and played with the ginger snap in his hand. "Well, it all started during our last month at Hogwarts, six years ago. One night in the common room, she told me that she was in love with me. That she had been since our fourth year. She said that she had to tell me how she felt because it was eating her up inside. She asked me if I felt the same way about her."

            "And what did you say?"

            "I – I told her that I only loved her as a best friend. And that that was the only way I felt about her."

            Molly placed her hand to her chest, shocked. "Oh the poor dear. She must've felt horrible."

            "Mum, I felt horrible too you know."

            "Oh, of course dear. I'm sorry, do go on."

            "Okay, well, after I told her my feelings, we established that we'd still continue on being best friends. The only thing is that ever since that night  , things between us were never the same. Hermione, Harry, and I still sat with each other most of the time, but it was a very awkward situation, for all of us. Hermione and I both forced ourselves to carry on small conversations while we were with Harry because we didn't want him to feel guilty. Harry was the one that convinced Hermione to tell me how she felt and he blamed himself for things not going right, especially her broken heart."

            "I see."

            "Then, graduation came and we all went our separate ways. Harry still kept in touch with both of us. But as for Hermione and I, we gradually lost contact with each other. She was attending Wizardry Medical School in Italy and I was here playing for the Chudley Cannons. We were just too busy, I guess, to owl each other."

            "Too busy?," Molly questioned, "Or too afraid to try?"       

            "Umm..well, I owled her once just to say 'Hi' and ask how she was doing in medical school. She owled me back saying she was doing pretty good and that medical school was keeping her pretty busy. That was the only time I owled her. She was busy and I was busy with the Cannons. I focused my attention on Quidditch for the next three years and I was happy playing Quidditch. My dream finally came true and I cherished every moment of it."

            "But gradually, playing with the Cannons gave me less and less satisfaction. A part of me felt empty and I couldn't continue playing Quidditch without my whole heart into it. That's why I had to resign. After that, as you well know, I became a little depressed because I couldn't fill that void inside my body. I didn't know how to. But ever since I started working for Fred and George at the joke shop, I started to forget about it. The void I mean. It was great to be working with my family. I love all of you and in a way, working at the joke shop made me feel like I was back in my younger days, before things changed."

            "Well, that was quite a handful of information, though I must say I wasn't particularly surprised over what Hermione confessed to you, Ron."

            Ron gave her a curious look, "Mum, what do you mean?"

            "I mean, I'm not surprised at what Hermione said to you because it was quite obvious to me how she felt about you. The surprising thing is that you told her you didn't feel the same way, when we all know that you did. You were just oblivious to that fact."

            "You're wrong, Mum! Like I said I've only fancied Hermione as a FRIEND. Nothing else beyond that!," Ron exclaimed defensively.

            "No, Ron, you're the one that's wrong. Who are you trying to fool? Certainly not your family because we could clearly tell you were slowly falling for Hermione. Remember your fourth year at Hogwarts? The Yule Ball? Fred and George told me you couldn't keep your eyes off her. And remember your little bickers over Viktor Krum? That, my dear boy, is called jealousy. And jealousy can tell a lot of things about that person, things that that person chooses to deny, mostly feelings. I believe that you love Hermione, not only just as a friend. You fell in love with her the same time she fell in love with you."

            He couldn't believe what he was hearing from his own mother. _How could she tell him how he felt or how he feels? The stuff that happened in fourth year didn't matter. They were childish fights. He didn't need to take this. Ron quickly shook his head and got out of his seat. He was wasting his time. He knew he shouldn't have said anything to his Mum. _

            "Now wait just a minute, Ronald Weasley! I have one more question for you that you need to answer."

            Ron defiantly sat right back down in his seat.

            "What's the real reason why you're upset over Hermione's upcoming wedding?"

            "I cannot believe this! I thought things were obvious to you, Mum! I'm upset because she's marrying that dick, Draco! He treated her like dirt, like she was inferior! He's evil just like his father, it's a shame he didn't die with his parents!"

            "Ron, that's a horrible thing to say! We all weren't fond of the Malfoys, but Hermione has a mind of her own. Maybe she saw something in Draco that we didn't. She's as good as family to us and we should respect her decisions."

            "I don't care! Draco shouldn't be marrying her!!," Ron shouted.

            "And why not?!"

            "Because I SHOULD!!!," Ron howled as he pounded his fist on the table, splattering the ginger snaps on the floor.

            Molly gave a big sigh of relief, "Finally! It's about time you admitted it!" 

            Ron couldn't believe what he just said. He just confessed that he wanted to marry Hermione. As much as it was a surprise to him, it was also liberating. Everything that he had suppressed for the past six years finally burst out. And it was quite a feeling. 

            He just concentrated on the floor, flabbergasted, for about a couple of minutes, until he remembered he was supposed to take a shower and go to work. His Mum was baking a new batch of ginger snaps, to replace the ones that fell on the floor. "Umm..Mum..thanks for talking and listening to me. I need to go shower right now, but I'm glad we had this talk." 

            "I'm glad to help, Ron," Molly replied as he made up for the stairs, "By the way, I've been informed by your sister that Hermione's staying at The Leaky Cauldron for a couple of days to check on some wedding shops - alone." At that last word, Molly gave Ron a wink. Needless to say, Ron got the hint.


	5. Long Time No See

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is the author and owner of the Harry Potter characters. No copyright infringement is intended.**

a/n: Sorry for the delay, everyone. I got caught up reading fanfics lately instead of writing them, LoL. Well, I hope you like this one too J

Chapter 5

Long Time No See

            "One galleon is your change, lil fella. Try not to have _too much fun with your Trixo Bubbles!" Ron advised the small boy as he closed the register._

            Fred was stocking one of the shelves with more Trixo Bubbles when he overheard what Ron said to the little boy. "Oi, Ron, what do you think you're doing? That's our business right there," he nodded over to the boy "We want them to come back for more!"

            "Oh, relax, Fred! I'm just giving the boy some caution. After all, the poor kid has Snape for Potions and is also a Gryffindor. Snape would definitely give him detention just for being a Gryffindor; he doesn't need to get in more trouble because of the Bubbles."

            "Oh, Ronniekins, since when have you cared about not getting into trouble? What gives with you today anyway? You seem to be…I dunno…occupied with something else." Fred walked over to Ron behind the counter to put the empty Trixo Bubbles box away. "Care to talk about it?"

            "Well, I'm sure you've heard about Hermione's upcoming wedding, to Draco Malfoy, nonetheless."

            "Oh, yes. Mum apparated here this morning to tell George and I about it. She wanted to make sure Katie and George and Angelina and I were free that day before she owled the RSVP. Then she went to do the same with Percy, Bill, and Charlie." 

            "Yes, well, she sent the RSVP. I gave Mum a little attitude and she tried to set me straight. At the end of our conversation, we got to the root of my attitude – my true feelings for Hermione and my disgust over this wedding," Ron summarized.

            "So you finally admitted your feelings huh? Well, damn, it's about time! George and I almost lost all hope!," Fred exclaimed as he brotherly slapped Ron on the shoulder. "Hey, George!!! Did ya hear?" 

            "What's that, Fred??," George yelled from the supply room. Fred started to walk towards the supply room and shouted, "Ron finally confessed his feelings about Hermione!" At this, George excitedly ran to the doorway causing Fred to stop suddenly. George had an ecstatic look plastered on his face as he ran towards Ron at the counter. "You mean, you told Hermione?"

            Ron didn't know exactly how to react. Was he the only one who was clueless about his own feelings??, he thought to himself. "Actually, George, I only told Mum. Telling Hermione….well…that's another issue. Mum gladly informed me that Hermione's staying at The Leaky Cauldron for a few days. She's planning on checking some of the bridal shops in Diagon Alley. She seems to think that I should go over there and pay Hermione a visit. What do you think? Should I? And if I do, should I tell her right away that I want her to marry me instead of Draco?"

            George was just about to answer Ron when the front door bell rang, indicating that a customer had just entered Gred & Forge's Joke Shop. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

            "Hermione!," Fred shouted with surprise.

            As Hermione walked towards them, Ron couldn't help noticing that she looked different. Maybe it was due to not seeing her for six years, or maybe it was the way how her hair looked – straightened. Ron had to admit it was a big improvement from the bushy and frizzy hair from their Hogwarts' days. Her hair's straightness brought more attention to her face, which was home to eyes that were lined with eyeliner. He noticed that her eyes sparkled. The next thing he looked at were her lips, covered with a shiny lip gloss that made them look full. She then broke into a huge smile as she approached the counter, sort of breaking into a run when the three brothers walked out behind the counter. 

            George stretched out his arms and gave Hermione a huge older brother type of hug, and Fred did the same after George. After Fred greeted Hermione, there was a short period of silence and awkwardness. Hermione and Ron stared at each other for a few seconds and Fred and George looked at each other uncomfortably. It didn't last long, however, because suddenly, Hermione broke into an enormous smile, stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck. Ron had grown a few more inches since she'd last saw him so he bent over a little to accommodate Hermione. He had put his arms around her also and smelled her hair.

            "Oh, Ron, it is so great to see you again!" Hermione shouted as she disengaged from the embrace. "I'm so glad to see all three of you!" She looked from Ron to Fred to George and back to Ron.

            "Likewise, Hermione!" Fred exclaimed, "We've missed you while you were at medical school!"

            "Oh I've missed all of you too. I'm really sorry I haven't been keeping in touch with you all as much as I should; it's just that medical school kept me so busy. And I know that's really no excuse --" Hermione tried to explain.

            "Oh hush, Hermione," George interrupted. "We know medical school isn't easy. You shouldn't be sorry at all. We understand," he took her hand and patted it.

            "So what brings you here, Hermione?" Ron asked. They were all surprised to hear him speak, since he had stayed quiet this whole time.

            "I assume you've all heard my news?" she curiously asked.

            "About your wedding? Of course! Actually, Ron just told me Mum sent the RSVP a few hours ago," Fred answered.

            "Fantastic! So you'll all be attending, I hope?" Hermione raised her eyebrows as she surveyed the brothers' faces.

            "Well, of course, Hermione! You're practically part of our family; we wouldn't miss this big milestone of your life. Although, we are quite confused and dumbfounded with the choice of groom. Draco _Malfoy??? Excuse me if I sound rude, but I think I speak for the whole Weasley family when I say__ 'Draco???' I mean, your history with him doesn't exactly warrant as a loving one," George questioned. Ron was amazed that George asked Hermione. He felt the same way as George did, of course, but he surprisingly didn't have the boldness to ask Hermione the question that was in everyone's mind._

            Astonishingly, Hermione smiled back at George. "It's quite okay, George. You aren't the first to ask me that question. My response to you and everybody else that have asked is that Draco is not the same person that we all knew at Hogwarts. He's changed quite a bit."

            Ron, Fred, and George all looked at each other anxiously. Fred cleared his throat and said, "Hermione, you know our family has never trusted the Malfoys."

            "I know that, Fred, but Draco is just a normal person who unfortunately inherited the Malfoy last name. He's not at all what we thought him to be when we were still at Hogwarts."

            "This is just all too hard to believe, Hermione, even for natural jokesters like me."

            "Well, you do trust me enough to know that I would never decide on something as important as my future husband without thinking it through thoroughly, don't you?" she asked all three of them.

            There was an awkward silence in the room. Hermione does have a point, Ron thought. Back at Hogwarts she was always the researcher and pondered all the consequences before she made a decision; I guess she took this same approach when it came to people too. Ron finally broke the silence and meekly said, "Er, sure we do, Hermione," and quickly stared at the floor. How could he just lie like that? Sure he trusted that Hermione thought things thoroughly, but he didn't believe she made the right decision.

            "You're a bad liar, Ron. You don't trust that I made the right decision do you? Like I said before, Draco has changed quite a bit. All he needed was someone to understand him. He's not the same Draco from Hogwarts, Ron, and I'll prove it to you."

            "How?" Ron asked unconvincingly. He didn't believe a Malfoy could ever change for the better.

            "I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron for a couple of days because I'm looking at a couple of shops in Diagon Alley. Let's have lunch there, I'll get you caught up with the last six years of my life and vice versa, and then maybe you can have dinner with Draco and me. Is Friday good for you?"

            Bloody hell, what's he supposed to say?  He didn't mind the lunch and talk part, but dinner with that git Draco? He'd rather vomit slugs. But after considering it, he caved in and agreed. "Yea, sure, Friday's good with me," he said unenthusiastically.

            Hermione smiled again, "Great! I'm looking forward to it!"

            "Well, it's been nice seeing all of you, but I have an appointment with the cake shop in fifteen minutes," Hermione explained. She each gave Fred, George, and Ron a goodbye hug.

            "It was nice to see you again also, Hermione. Do come visit more will you?," George implored. 

            "I will try my very best. Don't forget about Friday, Ron!"

            "Don't worry, I won't."

            She smiled, waved goodbye, and walked out of the joke shop.

            After Hermione was out of view, Fred went up to Ron, "So you're thinking of still telling Hermione of your 'feelings'?"

            Ron glared, "Are you kidding me? How can I?!" He shook his head, "Friday is going to be very interesting."

a/n: I will be having finals for the next two weeks, so if you don't read anything from me for a while, you know why. 


	6. Snogs and Rings

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter series and its characters.**

**a/n: I survived my finals and am now on my long deserved vacation J Sorry you all had to wait a long time for a new chapter. I hope this one will make up for it J.**

**Chapter 6**

**Snogs**** and Rings**

            "Harry, would you like some more peas, dear?," Molly asked as she lifted up the bowl of peas. "Yes, please. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." replied Harry as he took the bowl from her and put a big spoonful of peas on his plate. Harry always had dinner with the Weasleys on Thursdays, partly because of Ginny, but also because it was his own way of keeping in touch with the whole family. It wasn't easy to forget the family who treated him like one of their own, even if he wasn't dating the only daughter.

            Across the table from Harry sat Ron, who played around with his peas, trying to poke a pea on each prong of his fork. He was doing great, but just then, the pea he was working on slipped from his fork, flew across the table and bounced off Harry's nose. Ginny giggled as Harry playfully said, "Hey Ron, aren't we a bit too old to be having a food fight?"

            "Sorry, Harry. It slipped," Ron apologized as he blushed slightly.

            "Ron, dear, aren't you hungry? You've hardly eaten half of what's on your plate," Molly asked, concerned.

            "Oh, his mind is just elsewhere right now, Mum," Ginny answered.

            "And where is it exactly?"

            "It's on tomorrow. I'm having lunch with Hermione, supposed to catch up with our lives, and then have the pleasure of dining with Draco himself," Ron answered sarcastically, punctuating his sentence by rolling his eyes.

            "Hmm..sounds peachy," joked Molly.

            They continued to enjoy their dinner as Arthur shared about his day at work in the Ministry. Nothing interesting, really. Just the usual inspection of Muggle objects. After dinner Arthur went into the garage, with his collection of Muggle objects. Molly washed the dishes, Harry and Ginny went for a walk, and Ron went up to his room after helping clear the table.

            It was still pretty early in the evening but Ron wanted to get a head start for tomorrow. So he went through his closet and attempted to conjure an appropriate outfit for the next day. He sat on his bed, facing his closet and pointed his wand. "Alohomora!" The closet opened to reveal his disorganized clothes. Ron surveyed his closet, looking for anything that remotely looked like a decent pair of pants and shirt. He found a pair of nice beige slacks that he just bought a month ago and pointed his wand."Accio! Wingardium Leviosa!" The slacks were floating in the air, in front of Ron, as if they were on an invisible mannequin. _Now, pick out a shirt to match. Then again, I could go shirtless. My body is still fit. I'm sure Hermione wouldn't mind seeing a piece of this, Ron joked with himself, as he shook his head. He eyed a light blue button down long-sleeved shirt. "Accio! Wingardium Leviosa!" And there in the air in front of him was tomorrow's outfit. _

            By now, Ron felt pretty tired and just wanted to go to sleep. So that's what he did and still floating in the air was his outfit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

            There was a loud banging on the door. "Ron! Time to wake up! " Molly yelled.

            Reluctantly, Ron sat up in bed. He just had a dream and Hermione was in it. He dreamt that he was at her wedding. She looked beautiful in her wedding dress. She said, "I do." Ron turned to look at the groom, expecting Draco to be there, but that wasn't the case. There was a groom there, all right, but he couldn't see his face. And then that's when Molly started banging on the door and woke up Ron.

            _That was such a weird dream. Why couldn't I see Draco's face?_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

            After Ron had showered, changed into his clothes, and ate breakfast, he Apparated to the joke shop. He was only working from 8 -11 a.m. today. Fred and George had given him the rest of the day off. He opened up the shop and checked the register for enough change. After that he rearranged a few of the displays and then tended to a few customers. However, his mind was on one thing only. Lunch with Hermione.

            At five to eleven, Fred and George arrived at the joke shop to take over for Ron. Ron put on his robes and made sure his wand was in his pocket. "Do send Draco our love, will you?," George joked. Ron glared at him before he Apparated to The Leaky Cauldron. *pop*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

            Hesitantly, Ron entered The Leaky Cauldron. As he walked in he scanned the establishment for Hermione, to see if maybe she was already saving them a table. He didn't see any sign of her, however, so he just assumed she was still up in her room. He decided to save them a table. A curvy witchtress with black hair and full lips, dressed in tight robes, stopped at Ron's table and asked for his order.

            "Well if it isn't Ron Weasley of the Chudley Cannons! You are much sexier in person," the witchtress said as she ran her hand down Ron's left arm, feeling for his muscles. Ron was used to this type of reaction; he got it all the time, especially when he still used to play for the Cannons. "What'll be your pleasure, Mr. Weasley?," she said seductively.

            "Oh, I'm meeting a friend of mine here for lunch. She's not here right now so I'll just have a mug of butterbeer for the time being," Ron replied politely.

            "One mug of butterbeer coming right up!," said the witchtress, flashing Ron a very flirtatious smile, before she turned and walked away.

            Five minutes later, Ron observed the witchtress walking towards him with his mug of butterbeer. One witchtress, but no Hermione. _What's keeping Hermione? Ron thought. Finally, the witchtress arrived at his table again. She leaned over more than was necessary to put the mug in front of him. Once her face was level with his, the witchtress whispered, "One butterbeer. Would you like anything else?" She kept eye flirting with Ron._

            "Errr..nothing else. Thank you."

            "Are you sure?"

            "Yes, I'm quite sure."

            "Well, okay then. But first…" She leaned closer and closer. Then she planted her lips on Ron's lips and never let up. And why would she? Ron wasn't resisting at all. He quite enjoyed it actually. 

            "Ahem." They didn't hear the other person's voice.

            "AHEM!," the other person yelled louder.

            This time Ron heard the voice and when he saw who made it, he hastily pushed the witchtress away. "HERMIONE!," Ron shouted as he stood up and embarrassingly straightened his shirt. "Umm…hi!"

            Hermione laughed at him, "Was I interrupting something?" she innocently asked.

            The witchtress was not amused, however. She tried to stare down Hermione, but Hermione was way too experienced with staring down people and the witchtress looked away first. "Yes. You were," she replied snottily.

            "Errr..no, Hermione. You weren't interrupting anything," Ron stammered. The witchtress looked at Ron, betrayed. Then she looked from Hermione to Ron and to Hermione again. "Hermione…Granger?? Draco Malfoy's fiancé? You just had to have two of the most gorgeous men of the wizarding world, didn't you?," she questioned jealously. "Hmmph. I'll get the both of you another witchtress." And with that she quickly turned around and headed for the bar.

            Ron held the seat out for Hermione, like a perfect gentleman. "I'm sorry about all that, Hermione."

            "You didn't look sorry at all, from what I saw," she smirked. Ron sat down and his cheeks turned as red as his hair.

            "Well, enough of this nonsense," Hermione changed the subject. "I hope you weren't waiting too long. I got tied up at the flower shop. I just couldn't decide which flowers I wanted. But I was running late for our lunch so I told the lady I would stop by again after. Do you have somewhere else to go after lunch?"

            "No, I don't. Fred and George gave me the rest of the day off."

            "Fantastic! Would you mind going back to the flower shop with me then? Maybe you can help me pick which flowers to get."

            "Umm..no, I wouldn't mind at all."

            Another witchtress stopped at their table to take their orders. After they finished telling her what they wanted, they Ron and Hermione continued their conversation.

            "So how you been these past six years, Ron? I only get bits and pieces here and there from Ginny, so I don't really know much of the details. The last time you and I talked you were busy with the Cannons. What ever happened with that?"

            "Oh, I played for three years. It was fun at first, but after a while it just lost its zeal somewhat. I felt like I was missing something in my life. It didn't completely satisfy me, so I decided to resign. After that, went through a little bit of a depression. Then Fred and George offered me a manager job at the joke shop. There's still something missing, but at least for now I'm content. It's a nicer feeling working with my family."

            "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you out; being in medical school kept me so busy. But I am glad that you had your family to lean on and help you.'

            "Yeah. For them I'm truly grateful. But enough about me. What about you? How were the past six years for you?"

            Hermione sighed. "Well, like I said, medical school kept me real busy. There were so many times when I just wanted to quit and forget about being a docwitch all together. But I remembered a friend telling me once that anything was better than wondering 'What if?' later on. So I kept up with my studies. Then the rest of the four years went by fast and I eventually graduated as valedictorian of my class. Soon after graduation I was offered a job at Godric Hospital for Magical and Muggle Maladies. There I was reacquainted with our old Hogwarts classmate, Draco Malfoy."

            "Was he admitted with a malady?"

            "No, he wasn't. He was now my colleague. He's a docwizard."

            "A docwizard? Malfoy?!," Ron shouted at the thought.

            "Yes, it's true. Apparently, he attended a medical school in France; graduated valedictorian of his class and also accepted an offer to work at Godric Hospital."

            "I'm sorry, Hermione, but I don't understand how Draco can be a docwizard. I never thought it was possible for him to care about anyone else other than himself."

            "Hmm…I think I'm supposed to take offense to that since I am his fiancé. But I'll let that go because I also reacted the same way as you just did when I found out he would be working with me. I also thought there was not one single caring bone in his body. I mean, come on. Malfoy as a docwizard? Healing people, and at a hospital that treated MUGGLE maladies? It just didn't make any sense."

            "So how exactly did you get from that point to being his fiancé?"

            Hermione chuckled. "It is strange, isn't it?" Ron nodded profusely.

            "Well, at the beginning, Draco and I were both wary of each other, given our history of course. Our relationship was strictly professional; if we had to talk to each other, it was always only about patient and hospital issues. One night, however, we had the same shift and a patient with an unusual case was brought to the emergency room. We were both assigned to this patient, who had a case of West Nile virus. But since the patient was a wizard, the virus affected him in a much different and difficult way than it did Muggles. Being a member of the Muggle world, I knew what the West Nile virus did, but for the first time in my medical career, I was at a loss for this patient. Draco, however, was calm and he knew what he was doing. He was determined to let this patient stay alive."

            "He managed to keep the patient in stable condition, but earlier the next morning, the wizard flatlined. When Draco was informed of the death, it deeply affected him. It was his first casualty. He really took it to the heart and I found him in a dim lit stairwell, with his head in his hands. What I saw him do the night before implanted in me a newfound respect for him. Clearly this couldn't be the same Draco as the one at Hogwarts; he could've cared less. But this Draco, with his head in his heads and in so much anguish, did everything possible to save that man's life. This Draco actually valued life. I had to respect that. And I respected it enough to sit next to Draco on the stairwell, whether he liked it or not."

            "Draco was surprised of my presence there, but he didn't make me leave. He needed to talk to someone and I was there. I found out why he became a docwizard in the first place. Ever since he lost his parents, he was alone. He inherited everything, but he didn't have any other relatives that he knew of. As much as he despised his father..yes, that's right, he hated his father,…he would've given anything to have some family around him. He also felt that since he wasn't able to save his parents, the next best thing he could do was save other people's lives, be they magical or Muggles. That was why the wizard's death affected him so much, because he felt like he failed everyone."

            "As days passed, we became more comfortable with each other. We went out to dinner together on our days off. We grew closer and in a matter of time, we felt ourselves falling in love with each other. However, we still weren't comfortable with telling our friends about our relationship. I couldn't even tell Ginny or Harry or you. It went on for about a year when finally we decided we couldn't keep this to ourselves any longer. So I told my parents and Ginny, who I assumed would tell Harry and the rest of the Weasley family. But obviously, she only told Harry. Anyway, fast forward to two months ago, Draco took me on a mini vacation to France. It was there that he proposed to me."

            At this moment, Hermione showed Ron her left hand, her ring finger clad with a beautiful diamond ring. Ron couldn't believe he didn't notice it the day before at the joke shop; it was a very hard to miss type of ring. As the diamonds sparkled, so did Hermione's eyes.

            "Just can't help showing off your ring, can you?" The voice came from behind Ron. Hermione looked up smiling and Ron turned around, to see Draco Malfoy smiling back.

**a/n****: there is supposed to be a link to a picture of Hermione's engagement ring. If it didn't work, here's the address. http://www.zales.com/products/large.asp?Item=15204852 **

I initially picked out a Tiffany & Co. ring for Hermione, but the one above just looked far better. And also, I like how the words "past, present, future" are inscribed inside the band. It sort of ties in with where and how I want this story to go. 


	7. Grudging Respect

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and related characters are the property of J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.

**a/n****: Sorry for the delay everyone. I just haven't had the motivation to write. However, the past week, after hearing the great news of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix being released on June 21,2003, I had my motivation! J **

**Chapter 7**

**Grudging Respect**

            "Sweetie! What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be able to join us until dinner!" Hermione exclaimed, as she quickly got out of her seat and wrapped her arms lovingly around Draco's neck. Draco, in turn, gently placed a kiss on her forehead, with his arms around her waist.

            "Dr. Monroe got back from his vacation a day early. Apparently, it was raining nonstop in Hawaii and it just wouldn't let up. Decided to just go back to work and told me to take the rest of the day off," Draco explained.

            Meanwhile, during their loving display of affection, Ron took this opportunity to size up his competition. Height-wise, Draco grew about a couple of inches since they'd left Hogwarts. He was around Harry's height, tall but just a little shorter than Ron. His frame was still slender, which was crucial when he used to play as Seeker for Slytherin. However, the present Draco had now bulked up just a little bit. As for his hair, it was still blonde as ever, but not as gelled back as it used to be. His jaw line was more chiseled and he had crow's feet wrinkles. But none of these surprised Ron. He figured Draco had bulked up a bit because maybe he worked out during the week, lack of gelled hair due to being so busy from the hospital, and the wrinkles from the stress of working. However, when he looked at Draco's eyes, he found that they weren't the same. They didn't house malice, greed, contempt, or jealousy. Instead, Ron saw in them peace and contentment. Where was the bastard he had known at Hogwarts? He kept staring at Draco's eyes until he realized that they were staring back at him and blinked.

            "Hello, Weas – sorry – I mean, hello, Ron," greeted Draco. For a second there, Ron was convinced the Draco he knew came back, until Draco offered his hand, requesting a handshake. Ron looked at Draco's hand, then looked at Hermione who silently said 'It's ok', looked at Draco, and then awkwardly shook his hand, letting go as quickly as he could. 

            After this rather strange moment, Draco pulled back the seat for Hermione before he himself sat down. He must've noticed the suspicious yet curious looks that Ron was sending his way because all of a sudden he let out a hearty laugh. This made Ron even more curious.

            "Oh, Ron Weasley, would you just relax?!," Draco asked, still chuckling. "I won't bite."

            "You sure about that? The Draco Malfoy I knew would've gone out of his way to make other people's lives miserable," Ron retorted and crossed his arms across his chest.

            "Yes, well, that was then. Now my business is to go out of my way to save people with miserable lives," Draco answered. "I don't know if Hermione here has told you yet, but I now work as a docwizard."

            "Hermione told me earlier. Bit of a shock, really. I mean, who could ever imagine you as a docwizard?" Hermione glared at Ron, warning him to watch what he says.

            "Ha! Certainly not me, that's for sure! I always thought I'd end up following my father's footsteps and become a Death Eater," replied Draco. A few people around their table turned their heads to look at Draco.

            "Draco, don't say those words!" Hermione said at a whisper.

            "What? DEATH EATER?," Draco said loudly and deliberately. He knew more people would turn their heads around. He just laughed about it.

            Hermione gave Draco a stern look. "Oh, for crying out loud! I'm Lucius Malfoy's heir – not Lucius Malfoy himself," declared Draco while shaking his head.

            "But people are never going to believe you're a docwizard, Draco, if you keep joking around about Death Eaters like that!" She sighed. "Honestly!"

            "Oh alright. I'm sorry, honey," apologized Draco, stroking Hermione's hand.

            Ron couldn't help but roll his eyes. He felt like throwing up. Less than ten minutes and he had already seen two disturbing public displays of affection from Draco. He started thinking of ways to get out of this absurd mini reunion. But just then, Draco started talking to him.

            "So…Ron…how you been these past few years? I know that you played for the Cannons for a couple of seasons but what happened after that?"

            "You really expect me to have a conversation with you?!"

            "Look, I know I was a bit cruel --" Draco began to say.

            "A bit cruel? There's an understatement for you. Try these instead – pompous jerk, jackass, condescending smug git…" Ron went on.

            "Okay, okay, I get the point! I was a bastard, I know. I understand it's hard for people to believe that I've changed, but I really have," Draco replied in a suddenly much more serious tone.

            Ron noticed his sudden change of tone and to this he had no rebuttal. The three of them sat in silence for a while until the witchtress that had first attended to Ron came to their table, eyeing Draco. Hermione caught her eye, however, and gave her one of those You-better-not-be-looking-at-my-man looks. Eventually, the witchtress, whose name was Audrey, looked away.

            "Are you all ready to order lunch now?" Audrey said sweetly and winking at Ron.

            "Uhh…yes…I think some lunch would be great right about now," Ron replied. Ron, Draco, Hermione each asked for butterbeer to drink. 

            "I'll have the chicken Caesar salad, please," said Hermione.

            "I will have the Special Roast Beef Sandwich," Draco and Ron both said simultaneously. They both looked at each other, finding it curious that they both ordered the same thing.

            "Well, Ron, it seems we have the same tastes in sandwiches."

            "Yeah," Ron replied with a small grin. He looked at Hermione for a second and thought, _We seem to have the same tastes in women as well._

            Audrey collected their menus and told them their food would be appearing in about five minutes. Soon enough, their food appeared out the air and were in front of them. The butterbeer Audrey had to deliver herself.

            While they ate, Draco still kept up a conversation, especially with Ron. Ron didn't want to keep talking to Draco, but he didn't want to be rude. Even if he wanted to be rude, it was impossible because Draco was, Ron hated to admit, actually NICE. 

            "How's your family, Ron?"

            "They're quite fine, thanks. Bill still works for Gringotts but he was relocated to the New York branch. Charlie still tames dragons in Romania. Percy is working at the Ministry and he's now married to Penelope Clearwater. She's pregnant with their first child actually."

            "That's fantastic! Percy must be ecstatic!" exclaimed Hermione.

            "Yes, but he's more nervous than ecstatic."

            "What about Fred and George? And Ginny?" inquired Draco.

            "Well, Fred and George own their own joke shop now. In fact, I work there as a manager. As for Ginny, she and Harry are still an off-and-on couple. Only God knows where that's going."

            "Interesting."

            "Well, how about you, Draco? Why did you become a docwizard? It's still hard for me to believe that you are one," said Ron.

            Draco put down his sandwich and took a sip of his butterbeer. "Well, it all started at Hogwarts believe it or not, during our last year. As you know, both my parents died that year and I was left by myself. That summer was a nightmare for me. I never exactly admired my parents but at least I was never alone. But after they died, I felt so lonely, not having any family around. After a while I started blaming myself, for not being able to save them. If I had saved them, I wouldn't have been alone. And that's when I decided I wanted to learn how to save people. So I attended a medical school in France. Ever since then, Ron, my value for people's lives has increased tremendously."

            By this time Ron could hardly open his mouth. He was speechless, to say the least. It was one thing to hear this from Hermione, but from Draco himself was different. He really wasn't quite sure what he was feeling. Could it be possible? Could he feel this way about Draco? It was irritating, but Ron had come to the conclusion; he now had a grudging respect for Draco Malfoy.

**a/n: **sorry it's a bit short!

**BookSmartBrilliance****: Thank you sooo much for the support, help, and persisting on asking me how the chapter was going! Audrey, the witchtress, is named for you of course! LoL**

**Potty For Potter: **I took your advice from one of your earlier reviews and named the witchtress Audrey. Satisfied? LoL J


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